The Association of Oregon Counties (AOC) and League of Oregon Cities (LOC) will continue their series of Transportation Funding Forum meetings Friday, Jan. 26 from 1 to 2:30 p.m.

The Jan. 26 meeting will feature presentations from Gov. Kotek's transportation policy staff, as well as transportation stakeholders in the construction industry, the environmental community, and freight carriers. The discussion will explore the range of interests and priorities in the future of Oregon's shared transportation system.

AOC/LOC Transportation Funding Forum - January Meeting

Friday, Jan. 26, 1 to 2:30 p.m.

Google Meet Link

Phone: +1 636-334-6276 (PIN: 641 237 101#)

The AOC/LOC Transportation Funding Forum will continue to meet through 2024 with an eye toward a major transportation package during the 2025 Oregon State Legislative Session. Information and links to the recordings and slides from previous forum meetings are available here.

If you have questions about the AOC/LOC Transportation Funding Forum, please contact AOC Legislative Director Mallorie Roberts.

Executive Summary: The Secure Rural Schools Act has not yet been reauthorized by congress. Bills to appropriate this critical funding source are working their way through both chambers. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee passed SRS reauthorization on Dec. 14, and our partners at the National Association of Counties (NACo) hope to attach the bill to the next appropriations package.

If SRS is not reauthorized, counties will receive USFS Timber Harvest Receipts. This article provides estimates for both alternatives; however, USFS Timber Harvest Receipts are used for the baseline conservative estimate.

Baseline USFS Timber Harvest Receipts Estimate: The SHF, SRS, and FEX revenue payments in FY 2025 are estimated to decrease by $8.9 million (-2.2%) under FY 2024.

• FY 2025 SHF estimate Increased by 14 million (+3.9%) to $367.5 million
• FY 2025 FEX estimate Decreased by 0.1 million (-0.5%) at $18.4 million.
• FY 2025 USFS Timber Harvest Receipts stayed the same (+0%) at 6.7 million.
• FY 2025 Total estimate Decreased by 8.9 million (-2.2%) at $392.6 million.

Alternative SRS Reauthorization Estimate: The SHF, SRS, and FEX revenue payments in FY 2025 are estimated to increase by $14 million (+3.9%) over FY 2024.

• FY 2025 SHF estimate Increased by 14 million (+3.9%) to $367.5 million
• FY 2025 FEX estimate Decreased by 0.1 million (-0.5%) at $18.4 million.
• FY 2025 SRS estimate stayed the same (+0%) at $31.3 million.
• FY 2025 Total estimate Increased by 14 million (+3.9%) at $417.3 million

Please click here for the County Road Revenue Forecasts for Fiscal Year July 1, 2024 – June 30, 2025 January Update (County FY 2025). ...[Read More]

After more than a year of collaboration and development work, the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) approved the Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Community Workforce Agreement (CWA) pilot program last month.

Community Workforce Agreements are agreements between project owners and labor or between contractors and labor, which outline how each will improve the project outcomes for communities. The transportation system depends on the private industry, and CWAs provide additional benefits such as workforce requirements for apprenticeship utilization, workforce diversity, and prioritizing the hiring of residents who live in economically distressed areas.



If you'd like to learn more about CWAs, please visit ODOT's Community Workforce Agreement page.

Next month, the Oregon Safe Routes to School (SRTS) program will begin accepting applications for construction grants to fund projects designed to help address barriers, such as lack of sidewalks, for students who walk or roll to school.

The first of the two-part application window will be open from Feb. 12 to March 25, and all Oregon cities, counties, tribal governments, and ODOT regions are encouraged to apply. Proposed projects need to be located within a two-mile radius of a school.

After the part one window closes March 25, SRTS staff will review and score submitted applications. This will allow applicants the opportunity to see how competitive their proposed projects will likely be during part two of the application process, which will open in early May 2024. Part Two of the application process will require a more detailed proposal about the project, schedule, and budget.

For questions or more information on SRTS Competitive Construction Grants, please contact Xao Posadas, Safe Routes to School Construction program manager, or Heidi Manlove, Safe Routes to School Education, Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety program manager.

Transportation projects in Oregon that reduce greenhouse gas emissions have another opportunity in 2024 to get a funding boost from the federal Carbon Reduction Program.



About $12 million is available in 2024 for eligible projects in small urban and rural areas of Oregon with populations of 200,000 people or less.

The application window runs March 1 - May 31. Eligible applicants are counties, cities, tribal governments, and local and state transportation agencies.

A full list of 2023's awarded projects can be viewed here.

Feedback Opportunity: 2023 Funding Round

The Carbon Reduction Program will host a virtual listening session later this month to gather feedback about the 2023 round of funding. Feedback and suggestions from the listening session will be used to improve the 2024 funding round.

• When: Wednesday, Jan. 31, 2-3 p.m.
• Where: Microsoft Teams.
• Registration Required: Click here to register

Visit ODOT's Carbon Reduction Program webpage to learn more about the program and how to apply for funding. For questions, please contact Climate Program Coordinator Rye Baerg at 503-798-0589.

The U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) recently released a report updating the public on the Biden-Harris Administration's efforts to improve America’s transportation infrastructure. The report includes updates on DOT’s key priorities, including rail safety, strengthening consumer protections for air travelers, and the implementation of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL), among others.

“We are delivering for the American people with the resources now available because President Biden's Bipartisan Infrastructure Law reversed decades of underinvestment in our transportation systems,” said Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg. “The public placed great trust in DOT, and we are honoring that trust by making improvements to transportation that get people and goods to where they need to be more safely, affordably, and sustainably while creating good-paying jobs.”

You can view the USDOT Progress Report, 2021-2023 here.

Join your colleagues nationwide at the National Association of County Engineers (NACE) Conference and Annual Meeting in Palm Springs, Calif., April 15-18!

Registration is now open. Early-bird discount on all delegate registrations ends March 8, 2024.

OACES hopes to have a strong Oregon delegation attending NACE this year. If you or your county need financial support to attend, you are encouraged to apply or nominate fellow OACES members for the Education & Leadership Scholarship Program.

The National Association of County Surveyors (NACS) will hold it's annual meeting in conjunction with the Western Regional Survey Conference, which will be held in Las Vegas, March 23 to 26.

The annual meeting is scheduled for March 25. Both the conference and meeting will be held at the Horseshoe Las Vegas.

You can learn more about this year's meeting and conference by visiting NACS's conference website. There, you will find a list of speakers, a preliminary agenda, and information about registration and lodging.

If you have questions regarding the conference, please email [email protected] or call 888-994-3510.

If you or your county need financial support to attend, you are encouraged to apply or nominate fellow OACES members for the Education & Leadership Scholarship Program.

The Associated General Contractors (AGC) Oregon Chapter and ODOT will jointly host their annual meeting in Salem, Friday, Feb. 9.

The meeting is for staff involved in transportation project delivery and will include updates from the Oregon Transportation Commission, ODOT, and AGC leadership, as well as the financial forecast and project delivery outlook for 2024.

• When: Friday, Feb. 9, 8 a.m. - 3 p.m.
• Where: Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, 97301
• Registration: Register via Workday Learning

For more information on the AGC/ODOT annual meeting, please visit ODOT's Events and Conferences page or email [email protected].

The Oregon Asphalt Pavement Conference & Safety Symposium will be held in Salem, Feb. 14-15. The annual conference, which is jointly hosted by the Asphalt Pavement Association of Oregon (APAO) and ODOT, brings nationally recognized experts and cutting-edge technology to Oregon to ensure that industry and agency personnel have the tools, technologies, and best practices to design and construct the best roadway infrastructure possible.

In addition to the conference, the Safety Symposium will feature speakers, vendors, and educational opportunities focused on roadway work zone safety. Registration for both events is now open.

• When:
• Oregon Asphalt Pavement Conference - Wednesday, Feb. 14, 7:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
• Oregon Safety Symposium - Thursday, Feb. 15, 7:30 a.m. - 4 p.m.
• Where: Salem Convention Center, 200 Commercial St. SE, 97301
• Agendas:
• Oregon Asphalt Pavement Conference
• Oregon Safety Symposium

For more information, including lodging details and registration fees, please visit the APAO Paving Conference & Safety Symposium page.

Save the date for the biennial Northwest Transportation Conference, which will be held in Corvallis, March 4-6.

Since its inception in 1949, the Northwest Transportation Conference has served as a forum for engineers, designers, builders, operators, planners, and other transportation professionals.

More details, including the conference agenda, as as well as lodging and registration information can be found on the Northwest Transportation Conference website.

If you have questions about the upcoming conference, please contact conference chairs, David Hurwitz, Oregon State University, or Matthew Mabey, ODOT.

The Oregon Department of Transportation's (ODOT) Local Agency Certification Program is a federally-authorized program that allows the state to certify Local Public Agencies (LPAs) that are receiving federal-aid for highway projects, ensuring that Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) delivery and expenditure requirements are met.

When a local construction project is receiving state or federal funds through ODOT, the local agency is required to report back to both the state of Oregon and federal government. To help with this requirement, ODOT now has two new systems that work together to gather the required data: OregonBuys and AASHTOWare Project (AWP).

What is OregonBuys?

OregonBuys is a new web-based eProcurement system that automates the state's procurement process. All vendors doing business with the state of Oregon or that have a project with state and/or federal funds, will need to register with OregonBuys. You can learn more about the registration process here.

What is AASHTOWare?

OregonBuys provides contractor information to a system called AASHTOWare. The AWP takes the contract data with other information gathered throughout the administration of a construction project and provides the required state and federal reporting for civil rights and construction projects in Oregon. Click here to watch a short video that provides an overview of AWP.

If you have questions about or need assistance registering with OregonBuys, please contact [email protected] or call 1-855-800-5046. If you have questions about AWP, please email [email protected] or call Lead e-Construction Program Analyst Venessa Baker, PMP, at 503-983-4000

• Feds Pledge $600M for New I-5 Bridge Linking Washington, Oregon | Oregon Capital Chronicle
• ODOT Commissioners Plan to Offer Discounted Tolls to Low-Income Drivers | KOIN
• Republican Lawmakers Press for Special Session to Reassess Oregon's Vehicle Tax | OPB
• Oregon Appeals Court Finds the Rules for the State's Climate Program Are Invalid | Statesman Journal
• Portland City Council Will Consider Sending Gas Tax Renewal to Voters in 2024 | OPB
• Oregon DMV Fees Increase Jan. 1 - Here's How Much More You'll Have to Pay | KGW
• Phone Map Apps Might Lead Drivers Astray in Rural Oregon as Routes Close in Winter | OregonLive
• The Rules of the Road Are Changing, But Not Fast Enough for Everyone | OPB
• States Warn of 'Band-Aids and Duct Tape' for Road Maintenance | Stateline
• State of Emergency Declared for 5 Oregon Counties | KGW

Newsletters of Interest:

• Every Day Counts, Bi-Weekly News -- FHWA
• Innovator, Bi-Monthly News -- FHWA
• Transportation Safety, Monthly News -- ODOT
• The Oregon Examiner, Quarterly News -- OSBEELS
• PLSO News -- PLSO